Fence construction.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUBEN SUTHERLAND, OF PLATTIN, MISSOURI.

FENCE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed January 3, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, RUBEN SUTHERLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plattin, in the county of Jefferson and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fence Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fence construction, and more particularly to metal fence posts to which the wires are secured without the need of fastenings such as screws, bolts and the like.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction of fence posts so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and so designed that wires can be readily strung thereon for producing a fence for large or small stock or for poultry.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a fence post constructed of metal which is adapted to be driven into the ground to a suitable depth and provided with spaced notches, in which barb or other wires are held by means of keepers of novel design.

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a fence post with wires strung thereon. Figs. 2 and 3 are side and front views respectively, of the fence post. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of fence post.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a fence post which is preferably, although not necessarily constructed of metal and comprises a bar of suitable length having its lower end 1 tapered, and its upper end 2 blunt so that the bar can be driven into the ground by means of a sledge hammer or the like. According to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the bar has a longitudinal chamber2 open at its front, and the walls 3 of the chamber are provided with pairs of horizontal notches 4 for receiving the wires B of which the fence is made. These notches may be arranged closer together at the bottom Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Serial No. 409,219.

so that the wires will produce a fence suitable for retaining small stock or poultry, as will be readily understood, or they may be arranged equidistant apart, as shown. Each Wire is held in place by means of a keeper or retainer 5, preferably in the form of a block so proportioned as to fit between the slotted walls 3 of the post, and to be wholly contained within the chamber 2 so that they will not he accidentally released by objects coming into contact with the post. The blocks are provided with notches 6 registering with the notches 4 so as to receive the wires B, and the blocks are secured to the post by pivots 7 passing through the walls 3 and through the upper ends of the blocks or keepers so that the latter will tend, by their weight, to remain in normal position and thus retain the wires within the slots of the posts.

According to the construction shown in Fig. 4, the post is composed of side strips 8 spaced apart by upper and lower spacers 9 and 10 respectively to which the strips are secured by bolts 11 or other fastenings, the spacer 10 being tapered so that the post can be readily driven into the ground. By spacing the stri s 8 in this manner, a chamber 12 is forme for receiving the keepers 5. If desired, the keepers can be locked in position by means of pins 13 assing through the strips 8 and keepers an adapted to be withdrawn when it is desired to unfasten the wires from the keepers, as in taking down the fence.

In practice, the posts are driven into the ground a suitable distance apart and the wires B are strung on the posts by being seated in the slots 4, and before the wires can be entered in the slots, each keeper 5 is raised to the dotted line position indicated at a,

Fig. 2, so that the particular wire can be placed under the keeper. After each wire is thus inserted, it is locked in position by swinging the keeper downwardly into normal position. If a locking device such as the pin 13 is to be employed, the same is next inserted through the post and keeper so as to ,prevent the latter from being accidentally dis laced.

rom the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of o eration will be readily apparent to those ski led in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of 0 eration of the invention, together with t1e device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is slots disposed intermediate t1e top and bottom ends thereof and arranged to register with the slots of the post, and pivots passing through the apertures of the post and extending through each block at a point above its slot, the said blocks being entirely disposed within the said chamber.

2. A fence post provided with a longitudinal chamber open at one side, the opposed Walls thereof having horizontal slots and apertures above and below the slots, blocks within the chamber and having slots and apertures arranged to register with those of the post, pivots passing through the apertures above the slots, and removable pins passing through the apertures below the slots.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

his RUBEN SUTHERLAND.

mark l/Vitnesses ALFRED H. LONG, JOHN V. HAEFNER, Jr. 

